Despite what you may think, Memorial Day isn’t just a day off work or an occasion for a good storewide mattress sale. The ostensible purpose of this federal holiday, of course, is to remember the sacrifice of those who have died while serving in our country’s five armed services branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy—all of which continue to suffer great losses performing their duties around the globe.
The experiences of servicemen and servicewomen have served as the basis of countless movies and TV shows over the years, in all sorts of different forms. But the most powerful of these are the ones based upon actual journalistic accounts from real-life soldiers. So in advance of Memorial Day on Monday, here are five military-themed indies we love…
Generation Kill
Year: 2008
Directors: Susanna White, Simon Cellan Jones
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, Lee Tergesen,...
The experiences of servicemen and servicewomen have served as the basis of countless movies and TV shows over the years, in all sorts of different forms. But the most powerful of these are the ones based upon actual journalistic accounts from real-life soldiers. So in advance of Memorial Day on Monday, here are five military-themed indies we love…
Generation Kill
Year: 2008
Directors: Susanna White, Simon Cellan Jones
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, Lee Tergesen,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
First announced in early January, CBS has given a series order for “NCIS: Origins,” which takes place in 1991, years before the events of “NCIS” and follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (narrated by Mark Harmon) through his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks. Playing a young Gibbs will be Austin Stowell, the network announced today.
Stowell’s television credits include “A Friend of the Family,” “The Hating Game” opposite Lucy Hale, and “Breathe.” He also starred opposite George Clooney, Chris Abbott and Hugh Laurie in the limited series “Catch 22,” the Steven Spielberg anthology series “Amazing Stories,” and “Public Morals,” which was also executive produced by Spielberg and Ed Burns.
Sowell’s feature film credits include “Battle of the Sexes” alongside Emma Stone, “Bridge of Spies” with Tom Hanks,...
Stowell’s television credits include “A Friend of the Family,” “The Hating Game” opposite Lucy Hale, and “Breathe.” He also starred opposite George Clooney, Chris Abbott and Hugh Laurie in the limited series “Catch 22,” the Steven Spielberg anthology series “Amazing Stories,” and “Public Morals,” which was also executive produced by Spielberg and Ed Burns.
Sowell’s feature film credits include “Battle of the Sexes” alongside Emma Stone, “Bridge of Spies” with Tom Hanks,...
- 3/4/2024
- by Errol Lewis
- Soap Opera Network
The ever-expanding universe of NCIS has found the young version of the man who started it all -- Jethro Gibbs.
With as much as we know about Gibbs at this point, it's exciting to imagine how he became the man he is today.
Casting the part is as important as writing it, and now we know who will be playing the young Jethro.
CBS announced today that Austin Stowell has been cast as young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the new drama NCIS: Origins.
The show has previously been ordered to series for the 2024-2025 broadcast season.
NCIS: Origins, produced by CBS Studios, is the newest chapter in the NCIS franchise, exploring Gibbs’ early years.
Narrated by Mark Harmon, the new series begins in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS, and follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
In the series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent...
With as much as we know about Gibbs at this point, it's exciting to imagine how he became the man he is today.
Casting the part is as important as writing it, and now we know who will be playing the young Jethro.
CBS announced today that Austin Stowell has been cast as young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the new drama NCIS: Origins.
The show has previously been ordered to series for the 2024-2025 broadcast season.
NCIS: Origins, produced by CBS Studios, is the newest chapter in the NCIS franchise, exploring Gibbs’ early years.
Narrated by Mark Harmon, the new series begins in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS, and follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
In the series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent...
- 3/4/2024
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
The Rolling Stones are back with Hackney Diamonds, their first new album in over 18 years, and to help them kick off their new era is none other than their recent collaborator, Lady Gaga, who joined the Brit rock legends on stage at their album release show in New York City on Thursday night. Watch video of the performance below.
Performing at an intimate club party several hours before Hackney Diamonds officially dropped, the Stones’ Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood delivered a seven-song set of tracks from the new album, including the lead single “Angry.” To close things out, Gaga hopped onstage for the encore: a live rendition of Consequence’s Song of the Week “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” which features contributions from Gaga and Stevie Wonder on the studio recording.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, others who were in attendance at the star-studded release show include: Daniel Craig,...
Performing at an intimate club party several hours before Hackney Diamonds officially dropped, the Stones’ Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood delivered a seven-song set of tracks from the new album, including the lead single “Angry.” To close things out, Gaga hopped onstage for the encore: a live rendition of Consequence’s Song of the Week “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” which features contributions from Gaga and Stevie Wonder on the studio recording.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, others who were in attendance at the star-studded release show include: Daniel Craig,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
The Rolling Stones celebrated the release of their new album with an intimate club performance in New York City, closing the show with a rousing duet with Lady Gaga as Daniel Craig, Chris Rock, Mary-Kate Olsen and more cheered on.
The rock icons performed songs from Hackney Diamonds — including the Gaga-featured “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” first single “Angry,” “Whole Wide World” and “Bite My Head Off” — hours before the album was released Friday morning. The Stones’ seven-track set also included well-known songs like “Tumbling Dice,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Shattered.”
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood played like old friends onstage, enjoying every second of the short performance while the audience watched in awe. Attendees included Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Taylor Hill, Rachel Weisz, Christie Brinkley, Ed Burns, Keegan-Michael Key, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, Minka Kelly, Christy Turlington and Questlove, who deejayed sets before and after the Stones performed.
The rock icons performed songs from Hackney Diamonds — including the Gaga-featured “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” first single “Angry,” “Whole Wide World” and “Bite My Head Off” — hours before the album was released Friday morning. The Stones’ seven-track set also included well-known songs like “Tumbling Dice,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Shattered.”
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood played like old friends onstage, enjoying every second of the short performance while the audience watched in awe. Attendees included Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Taylor Hill, Rachel Weisz, Christie Brinkley, Ed Burns, Keegan-Michael Key, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, Minka Kelly, Christy Turlington and Questlove, who deejayed sets before and after the Stones performed.
- 10/20/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Christy Turlington’s daughter Grace Burns, 19, made her debut at Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday.
Dressed in a sheer one-shouldered dress, she walked down the runway of the Alberta Ferretti spring 2024 show. Her dress was light pink with a floral design in various colors of muted green and maroon. Burns wore her hair long and straight, tucked behind her ears, as she made her way down the runway through the historic Castello Sforzesco.
She later posted an Instagram Reel of her runway moment, captioned, “@albertaferretti thank you thank you thank you for having me in your show… in a castleeeeee!!!!! So so so honored to be a part of this beautiful collection.”
Milan Fashion Week follows Burns’ first runway show ever in June, where she walked the British Vogue x LuisaVia Roma show in Florence. She wore a white Victoria Beckham dress with black lace gloves and stockings to match.
Dressed in a sheer one-shouldered dress, she walked down the runway of the Alberta Ferretti spring 2024 show. Her dress was light pink with a floral design in various colors of muted green and maroon. Burns wore her hair long and straight, tucked behind her ears, as she made her way down the runway through the historic Castello Sforzesco.
She later posted an Instagram Reel of her runway moment, captioned, “@albertaferretti thank you thank you thank you for having me in your show… in a castleeeeee!!!!! So so so honored to be a part of this beautiful collection.”
Milan Fashion Week follows Burns’ first runway show ever in June, where she walked the British Vogue x LuisaVia Roma show in Florence. She wore a white Victoria Beckham dress with black lace gloves and stockings to match.
- 9/22/2023
- by Bay Zisman
- Uinterview
Like mother, like daughter.
Christy Turlington’s 19-year-old daughter, Grace Burns, celebrated a modelling first on Wednesday as she made her Milan Fashion Week debut.
Grace — who is the daughter of Turlington and Ed Burns — walked the runway at the Alberta Ferretti spring 2024 show, held at the historic Castello Sforzesco.
The teenager donned a pretty one-shoulder pink floral dress as she did the honours.
Grace Burns walks the runway at the Alberta Ferretti fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 20, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty)
Read More: Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington And Linda Evangelista Reunite On The Runway For London Fashion Week
Grace took to social media afterwards to thank the designer for giving her such an amazing opportunity.
She wrote alongside a clip, “@albertaferretti thank you thank you thank you for having me in your show… in a castleeeeee!
Christy Turlington’s 19-year-old daughter, Grace Burns, celebrated a modelling first on Wednesday as she made her Milan Fashion Week debut.
Grace — who is the daughter of Turlington and Ed Burns — walked the runway at the Alberta Ferretti spring 2024 show, held at the historic Castello Sforzesco.
The teenager donned a pretty one-shoulder pink floral dress as she did the honours.
Grace Burns walks the runway at the Alberta Ferretti fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 20, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty)
Read More: Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington And Linda Evangelista Reunite On The Runway For London Fashion Week
Grace took to social media afterwards to thank the designer for giving her such an amazing opportunity.
She wrote alongside a clip, “@albertaferretti thank you thank you thank you for having me in your show… in a castleeeeee!
- 9/22/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Théo Jollet's Meet Doug is now showing exclusively on Mubi starting July 12, 2023, in the series Brief Encounters.I've always been fascinated by the spaces where I grew up, wedged between the average town and the countryside. I spent my teenage years around municipal football pitches, snack bars and other multi-purpose halls. The way that these human traces, concreted and poorly maintained, come in direct contact with forests, rivers, and peat bogs, all form the ground that nurtures the imagination of my films. Later on, I met Martin Maire and Thomas Trichet, with whom I still work actively on a number of projects, including Meet Doug. Together we discovered works such as Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher trilogy, and shows such as The Wire by David Simon and Ed Burns, or The Sopranos by David Chase. These early inspirations gave rise to Doug, a young loser, delinquent through petty crime,...
- 7/12/2023
- MUBI
Grace Burns, the daughter of supermodel Christy Turlington, made her runway debut at just 19 years old.
She walked the runway in Florence, Italy at the British Vogue x LuisaViaRoma show.
She modeled a white Victoria Beckham dress that almost reached her feet. The dress featured a ruched waist and short sleeves. The outfit was paired with black lace opera gloves and lace tights made of the same material as the gloves. She also adorned a black clutch, which is a Beckham signature, and classic black peep-toe heels.
After the show, Burns posted a series of photos and videos on Instagram. The first three were of her walking the runway and the rest were various photos of her getting ready.
She captioned the post, “Thank you thank you thank you @edward_enninful @britishvogue @luisaviaroma @piergiorgio for putting the biggest smile on my face!!!!! I feel so grateful to have had this...
She walked the runway in Florence, Italy at the British Vogue x LuisaViaRoma show.
She modeled a white Victoria Beckham dress that almost reached her feet. The dress featured a ruched waist and short sleeves. The outfit was paired with black lace opera gloves and lace tights made of the same material as the gloves. She also adorned a black clutch, which is a Beckham signature, and classic black peep-toe heels.
After the show, Burns posted a series of photos and videos on Instagram. The first three were of her walking the runway and the rest were various photos of her getting ready.
She captioned the post, “Thank you thank you thank you @edward_enninful @britishvogue @luisaviaroma @piergiorgio for putting the biggest smile on my face!!!!! I feel so grateful to have had this...
- 6/28/2023
- by Nina Hauswirth
- Uinterview
If a modern-day story focused on a descendant of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory sounds up your alley, then you’ll want to read on for the early details of a TV adaptation of bestselling author Tosca Lee’s The Progeny. Edward Burns’… Continue Reading →
The post Elizabeth Bathory-Based Novel The Progeny Heading to TV appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Elizabeth Bathory-Based Novel The Progeny Heading to TV appeared first on Dread Central.
- 8/23/2017
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
AMC has put in development Gang Leader for a Day, a drama series from Hand of God creator Ben Watkins, Ed Burns and Radar. Written by Watkins based on Sudhir Venkatesh's best-selling book, with Burns set to executive produce and act in a supporting role, Gang Leader for a Day centers on Sudhir, a wide-eyed, ambitious young grad student who enters the nation's largest public housing project to conduct a survey on what it means to be "black and poor in America.” He's taken…...
- 7/27/2017
- Deadline TV
Emmy nominations are out, and they largely went as expected for “The Leftovers”: No nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, nothing for leads Justin Theroux or Carrie Coon (though the latter omission was stunning), nothing for writers Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta (or any of the talented staff), no nod for the gorgeous work of director Mimi Leder, and very nearly nothing across the board.
Save for one glorious exception: Ann Dowd.
Up for her turn on “The Handmaid’s Tale” as a supporting actress, Dowd snagged her second nomination of the morning as a guest actress on “The Leftovers.” To say this came as exciting news would be an understatement. The level of respect and adoration heaped upon Dowd by her fellow cast members, the writers, and Leder is unparalleled; to see the industry follow suit is the kind of things that keeps us invested in the Emmys. Dowd...
Save for one glorious exception: Ann Dowd.
Up for her turn on “The Handmaid’s Tale” as a supporting actress, Dowd snagged her second nomination of the morning as a guest actress on “The Leftovers.” To say this came as exciting news would be an understatement. The level of respect and adoration heaped upon Dowd by her fellow cast members, the writers, and Leder is unparalleled; to see the industry follow suit is the kind of things that keeps us invested in the Emmys. Dowd...
- 7/13/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Anthony Ramos, who appeared in the original Broadway production of Hamilton, has joined the indie film Summertime, a coming-of-age drama from Edward Burns. He rounds out the cast of male leads joining Pico Alexander, Amadeus Serafini, and Jon Rudnitsky. The pic follows a group of working-class young adults as they work their summer jobs, loves, and wrestle with what the future holds. Ramos will play Frankie, who has never been able to find love since getting his heart…...
- 6/12/2017
- Deadline
Welcome to Career Watch, a vocational checkup of top actors and directors. In this edition we tackle Alexander Skarsgård, who’s advancing his career with a canny combo of studio movies, indie films, and premium television.
Bottom Line: You never know where you stand with Skarsgård, who has the complexity of a character actor beneath the leading-man looks that launched a thousand memes. (Reads one: “Research shows that if you’re afraid of spiders, you are more likely to find one in your bedroom… I’m really afraid of Alexander Skarsgård.”)
His muscular swagger and danger is on display in “The Legend of Tarzan,” but his tender attentions to wife Jane (Margot Robbie) were that film’s throbbing heart. And in the hugely popular and topical HBO drama series “Big Little Lies,” he holds his own with an ensemble of powerful women including executive producer Nicole Kidman, who performs an...
Bottom Line: You never know where you stand with Skarsgård, who has the complexity of a character actor beneath the leading-man looks that launched a thousand memes. (Reads one: “Research shows that if you’re afraid of spiders, you are more likely to find one in your bedroom… I’m really afraid of Alexander Skarsgård.”)
His muscular swagger and danger is on display in “The Legend of Tarzan,” but his tender attentions to wife Jane (Margot Robbie) were that film’s throbbing heart. And in the hugely popular and topical HBO drama series “Big Little Lies,” he holds his own with an ensemble of powerful women including executive producer Nicole Kidman, who performs an...
- 6/12/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Welcome to Career Watch, a vocational checkup of top actors and directors. In this edition we tackle Alexander Skarsgård, who’s advancing his career with a canny combo of studio movies, indie films, and premium television.
Bottom Line: You never know where you stand with Skarsgård, who has the complexity of a character actor beneath the leading-man looks that launched a thousand memes. (Reads one: “Research shows that if you’re afraid of spiders, you are more likely to find one in your bedroom… I’m really afraid of Alexander Skarsgård.”)
His muscular swagger and danger is on display in “The Legend of Tarzan,” but his tender attentions to wife Jane (Margot Robbie) were that film’s throbbing heart. And in the hugely popular and topical HBO drama series “Big Little Lies,” he holds his own with an ensemble of powerful women including executive producer Nicole Kidman, who performs an...
Bottom Line: You never know where you stand with Skarsgård, who has the complexity of a character actor beneath the leading-man looks that launched a thousand memes. (Reads one: “Research shows that if you’re afraid of spiders, you are more likely to find one in your bedroom… I’m really afraid of Alexander Skarsgård.”)
His muscular swagger and danger is on display in “The Legend of Tarzan,” but his tender attentions to wife Jane (Margot Robbie) were that film’s throbbing heart. And in the hugely popular and topical HBO drama series “Big Little Lies,” he holds his own with an ensemble of powerful women including executive producer Nicole Kidman, who performs an...
- 6/12/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Pico Alexander, Amadeus Serafini, and Jon Rudnitsky have been added as leads in the young adult ensemble indie comedy Summertime, written and directed by Edward Burns. Carly Brooke (TV Land’s Younger) has also snagged a supporting role in the film, which is set to begin production this month in New York. The story follows a group of teenagers and 20-somethings as they work their summer jobs, fall in and out of love, and wrestle with what the future holds when…...
- 6/1/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: Caitlin Stasey, Lindsey Morgan and Zoe Levin are set to co-star in Edward Burns coming-of-age film Summertime, which will begin shooting next month in New York. The pic, set in summer 1983 on the south shore of Long Island, follows a group of working-class young people as they work their summer jobs, fall in and out of love and wrestle with what the future holds when the summer ends and the real world beckons. Burns and Aaron Lubin are producing the project…...
- 5/12/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: Rita Volk, who starred for three seasons on MTV’s Faking It, will co-star in Summertime, an ensemble coming-of-age film written and directed by Edward Burns. The pic, which Burns will produce with longtime producing partner Aaron Lubin, is scheduled to go in front of the cameras next month in New York. Set on the south shore of Long Island in the summer of 1983, the film follows a group of working-class teenagers and 20-somethings as they work their summer…...
- 5/10/2017
- Deadline
Today, Amazon Studios announced it has signed an exclusive first-look deal with indie powerhouses Bona Fide Productions (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Le Grisbi Productions (“Birdman”) and Killer Films (“Boys Don’t Cry”). Amazon is already doing business with all three entities – it’s about to unveil “Wonderstruck” (Killer) and “The Only Living Boy in New York” (Bona Fide) at Cannes – and the news is yet another sign that the company will continue to finance high-quality independent filmmaking from some of the most revered American directors out there. But it also signals a key reunion of major figures from an earlier period — the nineties indie film boom.
Read More: 7 Filmmakers Turning Amazon Into An Art House Cinema Powerhouse
By formally reuniting New York indie film icons – head of motion picture production at Amazon Studios Ted Hope and Killers Films founder Christine Vachon – Amazon is almost singlehandedly using its deep pockets to reignite...
Read More: 7 Filmmakers Turning Amazon Into An Art House Cinema Powerhouse
By formally reuniting New York indie film icons – head of motion picture production at Amazon Studios Ted Hope and Killers Films founder Christine Vachon – Amazon is almost singlehandedly using its deep pockets to reignite...
- 5/2/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
[caption id="attachment_48134" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Image via Barnes & Noble./caption]
The Wire and Treme creator, David Simon, talked to Variety about a potential Legacy of Ashes TV series. From Ed Burns and Dan Fesperman, and based on Tim Weiner's non-fiction CIA history account of the same name, Legacy of Ashes is currently in development at the BBC. It looks like the Beeb might bring HBO on as its American partner.Read More…...
The Wire and Treme creator, David Simon, talked to Variety about a potential Legacy of Ashes TV series. From Ed Burns and Dan Fesperman, and based on Tim Weiner's non-fiction CIA history account of the same name, Legacy of Ashes is currently in development at the BBC. It looks like the Beeb might bring HBO on as its American partner.Read More…...
- 4/28/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Though "The Wire" creator David Simon's next project is the 1970s porn drama "The Deuce" starring James Franco, it seems the acclaimed TV showrunner already has another major project in the works.
Simon tells Variety he's working on an adaptation of Tim Weiner's Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Legacy Of Ashes" for both the BBC and HBO. The series will take a hard look at the institutional problems in the CIA, and how it weakens national security. Speaking about the series he says:
"[Writers] Ed Burns and Dan Fesperman have taken that. It's in turnaround at the BBC. They want to do the show. They acquired the scripts from HBO and they are doing the show. We are taking another pass at the scripts because they want us to add a certain amount of U.K. stuff. A certain amount of MI6 along with CIA.
The reason HBO was gracious...
Simon tells Variety he's working on an adaptation of Tim Weiner's Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Legacy Of Ashes" for both the BBC and HBO. The series will take a hard look at the institutional problems in the CIA, and how it weakens national security. Speaking about the series he says:
"[Writers] Ed Burns and Dan Fesperman have taken that. It's in turnaround at the BBC. They want to do the show. They acquired the scripts from HBO and they are doing the show. We are taking another pass at the scripts because they want us to add a certain amount of U.K. stuff. A certain amount of MI6 along with CIA.
The reason HBO was gracious...
- 4/26/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Melvin Williams, the former West Baltimore drug kingpin who helped inspire both the character of Avon Barksdale on "The Wire" and the creative partnership that led to the series, and who later had a recurring role on the show, died this morning at 73, according to the Baltimore Sun. "Wire" co-creators David Simon (a Sun reporter at the time) and Ed Burns (then a Baltimore homicide detective) first met in the aftermath of a sprawling joint DEA taskforce investigation into Williams' organization that Burns had worked. Simon was inspired by the case to make it and Williams the subjects of his first big Sunday profile. While Simon reported the story (here's a Pdf of the whole thing), he and Burns hit it off well enough that Burns would become a frequent source for Simon, and later his collaborator on the classic HBO drama. Williams served many years in federal prison, and...
- 12/3/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
It’s holiday gift book time, and our list of must-reads includes weighty coffee table books on two iconic film franchises, some video store nostalgia, the mysteries of David Lynch, a bit of pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens reading, and the brilliance of Terry Gilliam. Check out the recommendations below and see more here.
Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History by Michael Klastorin with Randal Atamaniuk (Harper Design)
Even as a fan of the Back to the Future trilogy, I was a bit taken aback by the hype surrounding October 21, 2015, a.k.a., the date Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrived in the Hill Valley of the future in Back to the Future II. It is only fitting, then, that part of the hype includes the wildly entertaining Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History. Featuring the participation of, well, everyone involved, from...
Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History by Michael Klastorin with Randal Atamaniuk (Harper Design)
Even as a fan of the Back to the Future trilogy, I was a bit taken aback by the hype surrounding October 21, 2015, a.k.a., the date Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrived in the Hill Valley of the future in Back to the Future II. It is only fitting, then, that part of the hype includes the wildly entertaining Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History. Featuring the participation of, well, everyone involved, from...
- 11/19/2015
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
There is a saying in Baltimore that crabs may be prepared in fifty ways and that all of them are good. • H.L. Mencken
“There is only so far that you can push people into a corner… We’re frustrated and that’s why we’re out there in the streets.” • Charles, Member of the Crips gang
“I would never want to live anywhere but Baltimore. You can look far and wide, but you’ll never discover a stranger city with such extreme style. It’s as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay.” • John Waters, Filmmaker and Writer
“This is a skewed portrayal of the protests; it is what the media chose to portray – the media that consumers bewilderingly seem to want. The real revolution is thousands of people across America standing in solidarity against police brutality.
“There is only so far that you can push people into a corner… We’re frustrated and that’s why we’re out there in the streets.” • Charles, Member of the Crips gang
“I would never want to live anywhere but Baltimore. You can look far and wide, but you’ll never discover a stranger city with such extreme style. It’s as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay.” • John Waters, Filmmaker and Writer
“This is a skewed portrayal of the protests; it is what the media chose to portray – the media that consumers bewilderingly seem to want. The real revolution is thousands of people across America standing in solidarity against police brutality.
- 10/5/2015
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
“Is there life after death?” is a question TNT’s Proof may itself now be wondering.
RelatedTNT Sets Premiere Dates for Legends, Librarians, Sharon Stone’s Agent X
The freshman drama, which starred Jennifer Beals as a surgeon enlisted by Matthew Modine’s eccentric billionaire to investigate — nay, find proof of — the existence of an afterlife, has been cancelled after one 10-episode season.
TVLine’s hand-crafted Cable Renewal Scorecard has thusly been updated.
Proof debuted in June to 2.7 million total viewers and a 0.4 rating, and come finale time was pulling 2.1 mil/0.3. But even with DVR playback bumps, the numbers simply skewed too old.
RelatedTNT Sets Premiere Dates for Legends, Librarians, Sharon Stone’s Agent X
The freshman drama, which starred Jennifer Beals as a surgeon enlisted by Matthew Modine’s eccentric billionaire to investigate — nay, find proof of — the existence of an afterlife, has been cancelled after one 10-episode season.
TVLine’s hand-crafted Cable Renewal Scorecard has thusly been updated.
Proof debuted in June to 2.7 million total viewers and a 0.4 rating, and come finale time was pulling 2.1 mil/0.3. But even with DVR playback bumps, the numbers simply skewed too old.
- 9/24/2015
- TVLine.com
"The most important thing is to get films made because you can’t get better if you’re not working," says director Mary Harron in the video above, produced by Stony Brook University in partnership with Indiewire. Read More: Watch: Award-Winning Writer-Director Ed Burns Shares Filmmaking Tips in Exclusive Video Harron talks about collaborating with producer Christine Vachon and Killer Films on projects such as "I Shot Andy Warhol" and "The Notorious Bettie Page." Earlier this year, Vachon was appointed Graduate Director of Stony Brook's Master of Fine Arts film program. "Christine's philosophy that we adapt the aesthetic of the film to fit the budget was a huge inspiration to me," says Harron, who will be a visiting guest lecturer at the Stony Brook/Killer Films new Mfa in Film Master Class in Independent Film Production on September 15. This will be an Open Classroom / Open House at Stony Brook Manhattan for prospective students.
- 9/11/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Here’s the coolest sentence you will read all day: HBO has ordered a ’70s-set drama pilot from The Wire creator David Simon about the rise of New York’s sex industry starring James Franco as legendary twin porn kingpins.
RelatedGame of Thrones Poised to End With Season 8, HBO ‘Open’ to Prequel
Titled The Deuce, the project — which will be directed by Breaking Bad‘s Michelle MacLaren — is a “narrative set in the Times Square demimonde of the 1970s and 1980s… and follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York from...
RelatedGame of Thrones Poised to End With Season 8, HBO ‘Open’ to Prequel
Titled The Deuce, the project — which will be directed by Breaking Bad‘s Michelle MacLaren — is a “narrative set in the Times Square demimonde of the 1970s and 1980s… and follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York from...
- 8/6/2015
- TVLine.com
Although she has experienced great tragedy in her life, Proof‘s Dr. Carolyn Tyler has also witnessed miracles. Not only did she survive a near-drowning experience herself, but five minutes into Tuesday’s premiere, she watches a teenager come back to life after flatlining in surgery.
But suggest the idea of life after death to Carolyn — a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon — and you might as well have recommended she start DVRing Long Island Medium.
And yet, Carolyn (played by The L Word‘s Jennifer Beals) is asked not only to consider the possibility of an afterlife in TNT’s new medical drama,...
But suggest the idea of life after death to Carolyn — a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon — and you might as well have recommended she start DVRing Long Island Medium.
And yet, Carolyn (played by The L Word‘s Jennifer Beals) is asked not only to consider the possibility of an afterlife in TNT’s new medical drama,...
- 6/17/2015
- TVLine.com
Read More: Watch: Award-Winning Writer-Director Ed Burns Shares Filmmaking Tips in Exclusive Video Students in the Masters of Fine Arts film program at Stony Brook University had the unique opportunity to observe the evolution of Todd Haynes' "Carol," from script to screen. The film marks Haynes' return to filmmaking after a 7-year-hiatus and reunites him with his longtime producing partner Christine Vachon, who, earlier this year, was appointed as Graduate Director of Stony Brook's Master of Fine Arts film program. In addition to observing the production of "Carol," students in the program have been credited on other projects produced under Vachon's production banner, Killer Films -- notable examples include "Nasty Baby" starring Kristen Wiig and "Still Alice" starring Julianne Moore. "The practical training that our graduate film students receive as a direct result of our partnership with Killer Films is unique to Stony...
- 5/13/2015
- by Shipra Harbola Gupta
- Indiewire
It doesn't matter what form of entertainment you're auditioning for, be it writing for an entertainment website or starring in a television/film project - the process is designed to be grueling. After all, someone is paying a person to take part in bringing their vision to life, why would they settle for second best? American sweetheart/former superspy Jennifer Garner knows a thing or two about just how rough this can be, and she has a pretty great embarrassing story to show for it. While hanging out at The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Garner filmed an entry for Fallon's regular web series My Worst Audition. While the story is all about the same project (an unnamed Edward Burns picture), it spans across several callback auditions and involves a very old piece of advice that was spread around in the golden days of Hollywood. Apparently it was a custom...
- 10/3/2014
- cinemablend.com
A recurring feature in which we ask your favorite stars to reminisce about past gigs
In his nearly 30 years on television, Perception star Eric McCormack has played a spaceman, a Confederate colonel, a handful of lawyers and a dog, among other characters. But the through line that led to his best-known role started quite early, on an ABC dramedy not known for its edginess.
Video TNT’s Legends Can’t Kill Sean Bean Again, Can It?
Upon arriving in Vancouver in 1992, the first job he landed was on The Commish, “playing a bartender in a gay bar. It was a premonition of things to come.
In his nearly 30 years on television, Perception star Eric McCormack has played a spaceman, a Confederate colonel, a handful of lawyers and a dog, among other characters. But the through line that led to his best-known role started quite early, on an ABC dramedy not known for its edginess.
Video TNT’s Legends Can’t Kill Sean Bean Again, Can It?
Upon arriving in Vancouver in 1992, the first job he landed was on The Commish, “playing a bartender in a gay bar. It was a premonition of things to come.
- 8/12/2014
- TVLine.com
As the democratization of film has made it possible for just about anyone to make a film, it has conversely made it more difficult for the individual filmmaker and his or her films to stand out. Online content platforms now offer a hundred times more films in their catalogs then the films cataloged by IMDb from the inception of film (1,764,727 titles as of 14 Jan 2011). So despite assertions to the contrary, branding is more important than ever.
Filmmakers Are Brands, Their Films Are Products Though difficult for some in a creative pursuit to accept, in the words of Moonstruck (1987): “Snap out of it!” The music world has brands Madonna Louise Ciccone and Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known by their much more memorable brand names, Madonna and Lady Gaga.
Consistency Counts When your audience knows what they can expect from your “brand”, even if it is to be continually surprised, you’ve...
Filmmakers Are Brands, Their Films Are Products Though difficult for some in a creative pursuit to accept, in the words of Moonstruck (1987): “Snap out of it!” The music world has brands Madonna Louise Ciccone and Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known by their much more memorable brand names, Madonna and Lady Gaga.
Consistency Counts When your audience knows what they can expect from your “brand”, even if it is to be continually surprised, you’ve...
- 7/29/2014
- by David K Greenwald
- Hope for Film
There are a lot of "what ifs" in the movie business. There are so many options when it comes to casting actors to play characters in movies. Superhero films are huge right now, and I love most of the actors that studios have cast to play these badass characters. Christian Bale as Batman, Andrew Garfield aa Spider-Man, Henry Cavill as Superman, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man are just a few of many. But these characters could have easily been played by other actors. It's hard to imagine that now since we're already invested in what's in front of our eyes.
I've come up with a list of actors who almost played some of these superheroes. You may already know about some of the close calls on the list, you may not, but when I was researching for this article there were a few things I didn't know before,...
I've come up with a list of actors who almost played some of these superheroes. You may already know about some of the close calls on the list, you may not, but when I was researching for this article there were a few things I didn't know before,...
- 7/15/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Filmmaker and TV producer-director Carol Polakoff is expanding her Viewfinder banner into television with two hourlong series projects at FX, including a cyber crime drama from writer Ed Burns (The Wire). She’s also officially rebranding her Carol Polakoff Productions company to Viewfinder Pictures and bringing on former Vie Entertainment exec Kristina Sorensen (Freeheld) as VP Production & Development. In addition to the untitled cyber crime dramas, with cyber crime/counter-terrorism expert Marc Goodman executive producing and Burns writing, Polakoff has The Iron King, an adaptation of a French book series. Sorensen will help oversee these and other projects for Viewfinder, along with Daniela Albin, who has been developing projects for Carol Polakoff Prods since its inception in 2009. Polokoff’s feature projects include an English remake of Danish Oscar contender Terribly Happy; an original screenplay set in modern Tehran; Secret Sky, an adaptation of On Beauty by Zadie Smith; and an...
- 5/19/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
A review of tonight's two "Louie" episodes coming up just as soon as we choose between Mexican/Italian or Sushi/Pizza... With "Elevator," Louis C.K. is going even further with multi-episode storytelling than he did last season, since this one's apparently set to cover five more episodes after this one. And most of the section of Part 1 that actually deals with the elevator and Louie meeting his Eastern European neighbors felt entirely like a preamble to whatever's coming next. (As of now, I haven't seen any additional episodes in advance.) So the most memorable part of that episode involved Louie's subway misadventure with Jane, who, convinced she was still dreaming, hopped off the car to see what would happen. Having something genuinely bad happen to Jane doesn't feel like something even a show as elastic as "Louie" would do — Louie's daughters are the only real constant the series...
- 5/13/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
You probably already know Sarah Baker from her intimate confessions about Drew Carey in The Campaign, or her grief over her cat on NBC’s short-lived sitcom Go On. And you’ll be seeing a lot more of her soon, as a fast food clerk in the Melissa McCarthy comedy Tammy, and as a Christian aid worker in the Reese Witherspoon drama The Good Lie, about the lost boys of Sudan.
But mark tonight as her breakout moment, because she was unforgettable on Louie. In an episode called “So Did The Fat Lady,” she played Vanessa, a funny, cute, straight-talking...
But mark tonight as her breakout moment, because she was unforgettable on Louie. In an episode called “So Did The Fat Lady,” she played Vanessa, a funny, cute, straight-talking...
- 5/13/2014
- by Melissa Maerz
- EW - Inside TV
The Wire, Season 1, Episode 1: “The Target”
Directed by Clark Johnson
Written by David Simon & Ed Burns
Aired June 2nd, 2002
“Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shooting craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie… he’d wait ‘til there’s cash on the ground and he’d grab it and run away? You let him do that?”
“We’d catch him and beat his ass but ain’t nobody ever go past that.”
“I gotta ask ya – If every time Snotboogie would grab the money and run away, why’d you even let him in the game?”
“What?”
“If Snotboogie always stole the money, why’d you let him play?”
“Got to. This America, man.”
That’s it. That’s The Wire right there. Sixty hours of television, summed up in one exchange. This was a show about many things, but all...
Directed by Clark Johnson
Written by David Simon & Ed Burns
Aired June 2nd, 2002
“Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shooting craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie… he’d wait ‘til there’s cash on the ground and he’d grab it and run away? You let him do that?”
“We’d catch him and beat his ass but ain’t nobody ever go past that.”
“I gotta ask ya – If every time Snotboogie would grab the money and run away, why’d you even let him in the game?”
“What?”
“If Snotboogie always stole the money, why’d you let him play?”
“Got to. This America, man.”
That’s it. That’s The Wire right there. Sixty hours of television, summed up in one exchange. This was a show about many things, but all...
- 5/2/2014
- by Dan Schindel
- SoundOnSight
Spoiler alert! If you haven’t watched Justified’s season 5 finale, “Restitution” written by Fred Golan and Dave Andron and directed by Adam Arkin, stop reading now. As he’s done throughout the season, showrunner Graham Yost takes us inside the writers room. (If you want to jump right to season 6 talk, click here.)
Entertainment Weekly: You’ve said before that the writers were thinking of the show’s final season when you sat down to map out this year. How early on did you decide that season 5 would end with Ava between Raylan and Boyd?
Graham Yost: We...
Entertainment Weekly: You’ve said before that the writers were thinking of the show’s final season when you sat down to map out this year. How early on did you decide that season 5 would end with Ava between Raylan and Boyd?
Graham Yost: We...
- 4/9/2014
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW - Inside TV
This July will mark a special occasion for independent cinema. It was 20 years ago that Tom Rothman joined 20th Century Fox to launch Fox Searchlight Pictures, a division of the studio meant to capitalize on a growing movement in the industry like Miramax Films and Sony Pictures Classics before it. It was the rise of the "dependents," studio-sanctioned arms run autonomously that would be havens of sorts for filmmakers with bold voices, led by teams geared toward matching those voices with the audiences that craved them. The first film released from the Searchlight stable would be picked up, fittingly enough, at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival: Edward Burns' "The Brothers McMullen." Two decades later the company has amassed a sterling portfolio that it plans to celebrate later this year with special commemorative DVD boxed sets. It's also having a pretty great run of things as of late, with "12 Years a...
- 3/19/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Exclusive: On the heels of landing his first pilot order last year with ABC’s Big Thunder, hot feature writer Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift) is returning to television with a conspiracy thriller drama at TNT. Written by Fuchs and produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV, Black Box, now in development, centers on three strangers whose lives are forever changed after the accidental crash of a civilian airliner over the Long Island Sound when clues begin to emerge that the crash may not have been accidental. Fuchs and Amblin’s Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank exec produce. Black Box (not related to ABC’s upcoming drama series of the same name) is geared toward TNT’s action-adventure Sunday slot anchored by Amblin’s Falling Skies. The company also has TNT cop drama pilot Public Morals, written, directed by and starring Ed Burns. On the feature side, Fuchs’ Peter Pan origin story,...
- 2/28/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
According to Variety, 30 Rock's Katrina Bowden has landed the female lead across from Ed Burns on TNT's period cop drama pilot Public Morals. We're glad Bowden has finally landed herself a juicy role, though the character description for her part would undoubtedly make Liz Lemon's ocular muscles spasm and eject her eyeballs: "a seemingly sweet and innocent prostitute with street smart edge." For the love of all that is holy, please let Ed Burns's character be named Steven Morals and bring this thing home. Let life imitate the art that was 30 Rock.
- 2/11/2014
- by Halle Kiefer
- Vulture
Natalie Martinez (Under The Dome, End Of Watch) has signed on to ABC’s drama pilot Secrets & Lies, which has a series penalty. She’ll join Ryan Phillipe who just closed a deal to topline the project. An adaptation of the upcoming Australian crime mystery series, Secrets & Lies centers on a family man (Phillippe) who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation, and his sanity are all at stake. Martinez will play Jess, the child’s devastated mother. She will be seen in FilmDistrict and Endgame Entertainment’s upcoming sci-fi thriller Selfless. Martinez is repped by Wme and Mosaic. Brian Wiles has joined the cast of Ed Burns’ TNT pilot Public Morals, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Set in 1967 in New York City’s Public Morals Division,...
- 2/5/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Dexter alumna Jennifer Carpenter has lined up her next project, signing on as the female lead in ABC’s drama pilot Sea Of Fire, from writer Jenna Bans, Sony TV, Scripted World and Mandeville. When three teenage girls star in a pornographic film, it tears their families apart and leads to a disappearance, a murder and host of other secrets boiling under the surface in a small town. Carpenter will play Leah Pierce, a driven FBI agent brought in to investigate the disappearance. Patrick Murney has been cast as a series regular in Ed Burns’ TNT pilot Public Morals, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Set in 1967 in New York City’s Public Morals Division, it centers on cop Terry Muldoon (Burns), who is determined to raise his sons to be honest and hardworking as he deals with the dark underbelly of the vice world. Murney, repped by Tim Sage and Tge,...
- 1/30/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Miriam Shor (Gcb, The Good Wife) has been set as a series regular in Younger, TV Land‘s single-camera comedy pilot written and executive produced by Sex And The City creator Darren Star. Younger centers on Liza (Sutton Foster), a 40-something woman who reinvents herself and starts living a double life; one as a suburban mom and another as a 29-year old working girl in the city, after her husband leaves her and her child goes to college. Shor will play Diana, the high-strung head of PR for Passion Press. Diana is described as a disdainful woman (known as “Trout Pout”) who likes to get ahead by standing on the shoulder of her subordinates as she slowly pushes them into the mud. Shor is repped by Gersh, Impression Entertainment and attorney James Adams. Austin Stowell (Dolphin Tale) has been cast in Ed Burns’ TNT pilot Public Morals, executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
- 1/27/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Looking to build on the success of its TNT drama Falling Skies, Amblin TV is teeing off another alien drama, which just received a pilot order at ABC. Titled The Visitors, the project is based on a Ray Bradbury short story called Zero Hour. Amblin TV is co-producing with Dawn Olmstead’s Grady Girl. Olmstead found the short story and brought it to Amblin TV, which developed it with writer Soo Hugh, who has worked on Amblin’s The River and Under The Dome. The Visitors chronicles the race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world using our most precious resource against us. ABC Studios is producing. Olmstead and Hugh are exec producing along with Amblin’s Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey and Steven Spielberg. Olmstead, who was just named head of development for Universal Cable Productions, has two other pilots: Bravo’s Girlfriend...
- 1/24/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.
Steven Spielberg
As HBO’s CEO, Michael Fuchs, who’d come up through the company’s programming side, had spent 11 years working to transform the service from a movie channel with some pleasant original filler into a true programming platform. Ironically, Fuchs’ vision wouldn’t come to full fruit until after he’d left the company in May 1995, and it would happen under a guy who had no programming experience at all: Jeff Bewkes, who took over the CEO’s slot after Fuchs’ departure.
A friend of mine in the company who’d worked with Bewkes once explained his programming philosophy while we were talking about some of the company’s big dollar extravaganzas, like Band of Brothers. Bewkes didn’t interfere with the creative side. “If you can make it make business sense to him, Jeff’ll say, ‘Go ahead.’ If you can...
Steven Spielberg
As HBO’s CEO, Michael Fuchs, who’d come up through the company’s programming side, had spent 11 years working to transform the service from a movie channel with some pleasant original filler into a true programming platform. Ironically, Fuchs’ vision wouldn’t come to full fruit until after he’d left the company in May 1995, and it would happen under a guy who had no programming experience at all: Jeff Bewkes, who took over the CEO’s slot after Fuchs’ departure.
A friend of mine in the company who’d worked with Bewkes once explained his programming philosophy while we were talking about some of the company’s big dollar extravaganzas, like Band of Brothers. Bewkes didn’t interfere with the creative side. “If you can make it make business sense to him, Jeff’ll say, ‘Go ahead.’ If you can...
- 1/17/2014
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Lyndon Smith, Keith Nobbs, Wass Stevens and Elizabeth Masucci are set as series regulars in Ed Burns’ TNT pilot Public Morals, executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Written and directed by and starring Burns, Public Morals is set in 1967 in New York City’s Public Morals Division, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as the temptations that come from dealing with all kinds of vice can get the better of them. It centers on cop Terry Muldoon (Burns), who knows the line between the good guys and bad guys is thin, and he is determined to raise his sons to be honest and hardworking as he deals with the dark underbelly of the vice world. Nobbs will play Pat Duffy, a troublemaker fresh from prison that everyone knows not to trust. Smith, repped by Buchwald & Assoc. and Main Title, will play Pat’s sister Deidre, a beautiful beatnik.
- 1/17/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Brit Marling, Elizabeth Olsen, Edward Burns, Terrence Howard and Gabourey Sidibe all came to Park City as relative unknowns and emerged as highly sought-after talents. With the 2014 edition of the Sundance Film Festival launching tomorrow, the springboard is loaded. Here's Indiewire's picks for the 10 actors to watch this year. Abdikani Muktar ("Fishing Without Nets") Why You May Know Him: Chances are you don't. Muktar starred in "Fishing Without Nets" when it was a little-known short film, released in Kenya in 2012. It went on to win the Grand Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking at Sundance in 2012. It was next seen in 2013 at the War on Screen International Film Festival in France. What Sundance Could Mean for Him: The original short film was shot in East Africa using Somali non-actors -- if the film is a hit, Muktar will be considered a non-actor no more. Given that "Captain Phillips" gave a huge...
- 1/15/2014
- by Taylor Lindsay
- Indiewire
Review Michael Noble 13 Jan 2014 - 13:05
Is True Detective the first great new drama of 2014? Here’s Michael’s spoiler-free review.
1.1 The Long Bright Dark
Among the many innovations that The Wire brought to TV was its much-vaunted ‘novelistic structure’. Its creators, David Simon and Ed Burns (who between them had worked as a journalist, a cop and a teacher) admitted that this was intentional, and redoubled their commitment by hiring actual novelists to sit on the production and writing staff. One of those novelists, Dennis Lehane, has since moved on to write for Boardwalk Empire, again alongside other authors. Elsewhere, the reason for Deadwood’s distinctively poetic language lies in the fact that its creator, David Milch, is a former English literature lecturer.
Given these successes, it’s not surprising that, of all TV production companies, it’s HBO that’s been prepared to take a punt on giving...
Is True Detective the first great new drama of 2014? Here’s Michael’s spoiler-free review.
1.1 The Long Bright Dark
Among the many innovations that The Wire brought to TV was its much-vaunted ‘novelistic structure’. Its creators, David Simon and Ed Burns (who between them had worked as a journalist, a cop and a teacher) admitted that this was intentional, and redoubled their commitment by hiring actual novelists to sit on the production and writing staff. One of those novelists, Dennis Lehane, has since moved on to write for Boardwalk Empire, again alongside other authors. Elsewhere, the reason for Deadwood’s distinctively poetic language lies in the fact that its creator, David Milch, is a former English literature lecturer.
Given these successes, it’s not surprising that, of all TV production companies, it’s HBO that’s been prepared to take a punt on giving...
- 1/13/2014
- by michaeln
- Den of Geek
With AMC's Low Winter Sun now canceled, co-star of that series Ruben Santiago-Hudson has already booked a new TV gig, this time, heading over to TNT to co-star in a pilot titled Public Morals, alongside Ed Burns. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Public Morals, which will be written and directed by Burns, will be set in New York City’s Public Morals Division, during the late 1960s, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality, amid temptations that come with the job. Burns stars as one of the better cops, who is determined to raise his kids on the straight and narrow, within the filthy world in which he works. Santiago-Hudson has signed up to play his...
- 12/20/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
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